EMI builds biocoal plant

State-owned PT Energy Management Indonesia (EMI) is currently building a plant to produce biocoal, a fuel processed from dry waste materials, in Madura, East Java, and plans another one in Central Java.

Kontan quoted EMI President Director Aris Yunanto as saying Thursday that the Madura plant will start production in the next two months, while the company is still seeking the specific location for the Central Java plant. He, however, said that the Central Java plant hopefully can be completed in the first semester of this year.

EMI expects the two plants will be able to produce biocoal at a volume of between 250-400 tons per month. Aris claims the company?s biocoal product will have better quality than those produced in Thailand and Vietnam as it would have calorie value of between 4,500 and 7,000 kcal/kg.

Aris said that two companies in Japan and South Korea have expressed interest to each buy up to 100,000 tons per year of biocal from EMI. (*)